The Portland daily press., 1887-06-23
A FREE LANCE.
How an EngIishman of Old Family
Became Teacher In Portland,
And Swindled a Confiding Lawyer
Out of Five Hundred % dollars.

In December, 1885, gentleman who re-
sides in the lower part of the city, and who
is noted for his connection with one of our
prominent benevolent Institutions, hearing
a ring at his door bell answered the call On
the steps very well appearing young man
was standing, who asked him If he was not
an Englishman. An affirmative answer was
given. when the stranger asked him If he
would give shelter to his wife and child.
who were standing out in the rain under
tree-and to himself. He had Just
a. Il, ed in the steamer and he wanted rest
ing place until he could get started in bust
ness. The gentleman kindly took them in,
and after dinner the family and guests went
into the parlor, where there is fine cabinet
organ. The stranger seated himself at the
organ, and in few moments convinced bis
host that he was a superior musician
Although his accommodations were limited.
the host gave up room in the house to the
guests, and allowed the stranger to place
small sign on the outside of the building,
giving his uame and occupation, and also
permitted him the use of the parlor for
music pupils, who accumulated rapidly. The
stranger proved himself as fine inguist as
he was a musician. He spoke French, Ger
man and Italian fuently and grammatically,
and gathered in several pupils in the lam
guages He was good stenographer, and
taught his hosts son shorthand In fact he
paid for all the advantages he received at his
hosts hands, by his services as teacher
Time passed on, and the pupils multiplied.
The stranger was earning from sos to $50
week, according to the season. The host
thought 1t time that the gentleman should
seek other quarters. His own were limited
and he felt decidedly cramped, besides he
could now see no reason why the stranger
should not have house of his own. But
the Englishman couldn't bear to leave his
compatriot's house. He was very comfort
able where he was, and he so stated If, as
he said, the frequency of his pupils coming
to the house and occupying the parlor dis
commoded the family, why, he would get an
organ and take it and his pupils into a bare
room in the upper part of the premises. At
his suggestion the host went with
him to the New England Organ
Company's, where he hired a fine
organ, and to Mr.. Cornelius Hawes', where
he rented valuable piano, and these were
placed in his new music room. About this
time evidences began to appear that the
stranger enjoyed his ''little glass" occasion
ally, and the host became more and more
uneasy.
A short time ago the host obtained brief
vacation to visit dear old England" and he
carried with him letter of introduction
from the stranger to his father, who resides
in London. The stranger admitted to his
host that he was not what he seemed, that
he had in the past enjoyed different sur
roundings, and that the host might be rather
astonished when the time came to deliver
the letter, at the style in which the father
lived. They were separated from each other
from causes that could not be explained
without rejecting on the guest, who, whatever
he might have been, was now struggler for
his daily bread. The host, when in London
one day, decided to deliver the letter. 1t was
addressed to Russell Square, a locality sacred
to the nobility and great gentry of the king
dom. On arriving at the house, the host
thought he must be in error 1t could not be
possible that the father Of his guest lived in
this stately mansion. The big footman. in
full livery who answered the bell, showed
MN into the reception room, and in a few
moments fine, portly Englishman entered.
On learning his visitors errand, the gentle
man said: IF you have come to me for
money, either that my son owes you, or for
money for him, your errand is fruitless, and
you waste your time, for not penny shall
give you. He is thorough paced knaye
and scoundrel, waster of money, and |
have done with him years ago." The visitor
told the gentleman that he didn't come for
any money. that the son, whatever he might
have been, was now repentant and hard at
honorable work, and that he merely called
at his request, to see how his family were.
Then the aristocrat told his visitor what
career his son had run. Fitted at Rugby
and Harrow, then sent to Heidelberg and
oxford, throughout his school and college
career he was continually source of anxiety
and trouble. Money flowed out of his hands
as water flows from ducks back. Thous-
ands of pounds had been paid for him on ac-
count of debts contracted in expenses per-
tanning to dissolute life and for dissolute
male and female. At last find
Ing the young man deaf to all entreaty, and.
apparently, careless of honor and of love of
family, the father cast him off, and deter
mined to forget he ever had such a son. Tai
ented, and with the knowledge how to use
these talents, the young man went to Aus |
tralia and lived five years. There he mar |
ried woman of far different walk in life.
and there commenced an existence that was |
to himself and a scandal to his |
family. Bills poured in but they received |
no attention and this fact, perhaps more
than anything else, served to cut short the
career in that far off continent
Played out in Australia the fellow sought
America, and made Portland his home. "If.D
said the father, "you have taken pity on him
and assisted him, you have only nourish-
I'd a viper that will sting you; beware, as
you will learn sooner or later"
The Portlander returned home and found |
ihlngs at home going from bad to worse.
The habits of his guest had told on his occu-
patton, and his pupils were leaving him. One
lay the stranger-no longer a stranger
'ame to him and said he was about to re-
urn the piano and organ, and they were
AIKEN from the house, and, temporarily
gam, the hosts organ was used for lesson
giving AT last it came out that the stranger
lad mortgaged not only the piano and or
IAN, but he had claimed the ownership of
VI the furniture in the house-which be-
onged to his host-even the beds the family
lept on and the stove in the kitchen. He
lad become acquainted with lawyer in the
ity, who had become interested in him as
musician and become one of his pupils.
through the lawyer he had raised the money
n the property, besides the assumption of
he mortgages. amounting in all to $780, OF
curse the mortgages are worthless, and II